


Time

by BloodFrost



Category: Kylo Ren and General Hux - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), kylux - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Chewbacca - Freeform, Domestic Fluff, Evil Space Boyfriends, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, General Hux - Freeform, Han Solo - Freeform, Kylo Ren - Freeform, Kylux - Freeform, Leia organa - Freeform, Love, M/M, Marital Counceling, Marital Problems, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Kylux, Short Story, Soft Kylux, Space Husbands, Star Wars - Freeform, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) - Freeform, The First Order, struggling marriage, supreme leader snoke - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-12 01:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11726580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodFrost/pseuds/BloodFrost
Summary: Kylo Ren and General Hux's marriage is dangerously teetering on the rocks. Their busy schedules don't allow them much time to spend with each other, and when they DO get it, they spend much of it fighting and arguing.Eventually Hux convinces Kylo to attend marriage counseling with him, in an attempt to put back together what was once so wonderful.(Short(?)story, takes place in universe where The First Order is more of a 'corporation' than an evil dictatorship, and Kylo has a normal, healthy relationship with his family)





	Time

"Let's start things off simply. Each of you tell me your name, age, what you do, and why you're here today."

Kylo started first.

"My name is Kylo Ren-Hux, I'm 32, I'm an Enforcer and Commander for The First Order. I'm here because my husband forced me to come."

Hux rolled his eyes before speaking.

"My name is Armitage Ren-Hux, Hux for short, I'm 34 years old, I'm the General of The First Order. We're here today because we're having problems communicating with and relating to each other lately, and I'm hoping these sessions will help fix us."

"This is ridiculous," Kylo said in an angry tone. "You treat everything like a 'problem' that has to be fixed. Some things just need to be left alone, to run out their natural course."

"Leaving things alone doesn't 'fix' anything, Kylo. We've left our issues alone for too long now, and it's more than time we took action to right them."

"What _issues_?", Kylo hissed through his clenched teeth. "Do you know what I think this is? Another way for you to attack me, to point out everything that you think I do wrong, only now you've brought in a professional to back you up and validate your claims."

"This is not an 'attack'! You're so paranoid you believe everything is a personal attack on you! I'm genuinely concerned about where our marriage is going, and I'm trying to get us the help we obviously NEED to put it back on track again. It'd be nice if you cared about this as much as I do."

"It seems to me that you both have a great deal of things you'd like to get off your chest in regards to the other. It's not healthy to let feelings fester and build up like that, so how about we start there? Each of you face the other and tell him what bothers or concerns you the most about him. No interrupting the other, just listening. Agreed?"

Both nodded.

"Good. Okay, Hux, how about you begin?"

"Okay," said Hux, turning to fully face Kylo. "Kylo, I feel that whenever I talk to you lately, you're very quick to tune me out, or just ignore my words completely. It's difficult for me to gauge whether you take anything I say seriously or not, because nearly everything I try to tell you is met with sarcasm or defensiveness. You've told me that I, quote, 'nag' you, and I've TRIED to explain that --"

"That's because you **DO** nag, Hux! About EVERYTHING! You--"

"Now, Kylo," interrupted the Doctor, gently, "You both agreed to let the other say his piece, without interruption.

Kylo clenched his fists and scowled, nodding reluctantly.

"And then there's _that_ ," Hux said, pointing at Kylo's face. "That anger. You're so angry all the time that it's getting to the point where I'm afraid to tell you anything at all, because I'm afraid of how you'll react. Just last week I told you that Snoke wanted to start your weekday training sessions one hour earlier and you slashed our coffee table, a chair and my favorite vase right in half."

Hux paused, thinking over his next words carefully.

"You've never laid a hand on me in anger, in all the time we've been married. But I have to be honest with you, I'm afraid that if your outbursts keep going uncontrolled, you will. I fear that you'll take out your lightsaber and slice me in half, too, before you can contain yourself."

Hux stopped talking and looked out the window.

"That was very good, Hux," the Doctor told him with a smile. "Now, Kylo, it's your turn. Don't focus just yet on responding to what Hux has said; rather on what you want him to know about what's bothering you."

Kylo nodded and took a calming breath before beginning.

"Hux, sometimes I find it difficult to live with you. When we first got together I thought our differences were something that we could overlook, but I'm starting to doubt that more and more. You can be very inflexible when it comes to our lives, both at work and at home. Every single thing with you has that to be by the book, regulation, and scheduled. I feel like there are no surprises in our life, no excitement, no spontaneity. I feel like you constantly telling me to do or not do things is an indicator of an obsessive need for you to control everything; that, and an indirect way of saying that you don't trust me to make decisions or carry out actions on my own."

He paused here, blushing slightly as he gathered his thoughts for the next round of his attack.

"And our, uh, our love life has hit a bit of a standstill. We both work so much, we're both tired all the time. I can't even remember the last time we, you know. Hells, I can't remember the last time we had a **kiss**. Not a 'goodbye' peck or a 'see you later' cheek-brush; I mean a real, slow, unhurried kiss. It scares me because I keep thinking that maybe you don't want me anymore. I see all those young interns and assistants you have working with you all day, and I worry that one day, one day you might . . . "

Here he stopped, looking down at his hands folded in his lap. He didn't feel like he could speak any further.

After a short silence, the doctor cleared his throat and began to speak.

"You both have shared some meaningful thoughts and emotions with each other today. You kept the lines of communication open, and listened to what each other had to say. I feel as though this is what you gentlemen have the most trouble with: simple listening, without the need to respond, or defend, or accuse. I think that's going to be the focus of our next few sessions: listening. For our next meeting, I want you each to be prepared to give me a list of qualities of each other that are good, are positive. You have problems, yes, but nothing that can't be reasoned with or talked through. Let me ask you something right now, and I want no explanations of your answer, just a simple Yes or No: Hux, do you love Kylo?"

"Yes," Hux answered in a low voice, not looking up.

"Kylo, do you love Hux?"

"Yes."

The doctor nodded. "As long as there's that underneath everything, you're not too far gone for me to help you."

\---

They were both silent on the way home, Hux piloting the ship and Kylo staring thoughtfully out the window.

When they got back to the base and to their quarters, Hux went immediately into the refresher to shower, and Kylo went into the living room and opened up one of his holo-books on the defensive arts of ancient cultures.

Hux came out of the refresher about 15 minutes later, wearing his robe and rubbing his hair with a towel.

"I'm going to bed," he told Kylo quietly from the doorframe.

Kylo nodded, not taking his eyes off of his holo-book.

"Goodnight."

"'Night."

\---

"Can you tie my tie for me?"

It was several weeks after that first counseling session, and Kylo and Hux seemed to be no better and no worse than before. 

They still didn't talk much outside of the doctors office, or spend very much time together. And the time they did spend with each other was filled with a palpable, uneasy tension. Both of them felt it constantly, and it made for a rather difficult home life.

Tonight was particularly annoying, because Ren and Hux had to go to a formal dinner to represent Supreme Leader Snoke, and neither of them wanted to go.

Kylo especially was in a sour mood. Formal occasions of any kind always put him ill at ease, and he loathed the idea of "dressing up". He preferred to hide behind his mask and don his old training robes and fatigues. 

Tonight he was wearing a very elegant pair of black slacks, and a charcoal gray button-up shirt with a tie. His entire ensemble had been chosen by Hux and laid out for him neatly on the bed, when he came out of the refresher.

Everything fit perfectly, and Kylo had to reluctantly admit to himself that his husband had impeccable taste in fashion and style. He liked everything he was wearing, except . . . 

The tie.

He always had trouble fixing ties, and he stood in front of the mirror grumbling and cursing to himself over his inability to do something so relatively simple.

Hux had, of course, finished getting ready before Kylo, and was sitting on the bed going through his DataPad. He looked quite handsome in his own right, wearing black slacks and a blue button up shirt that perfectly complimented his eyes.

Hux looked over at him, and crossed the bedroom to where Kylo was standing. He began to fix his tie for him, his hands moving swiftly, expertly over the piece of silk.

"Do you remember the last time I had to ask you to do this for me?", Kylo asked him with a small smile.

Hux smiled back. "I do. It was our wedding day."

Kylo chuckled, trying not to fidget too much. "You kept telling me that it was bad luck, to see each other before the wedding. Remember?"

Hux nodded.

"And you said there was no such thing as bad luck, only bad people. I hit your shoulder, and you--you leaned over and kissed me. And I said it was even WORSE luck to kiss before _the_ kiss, and --"

"-- and I told you to shut up, and kept on kissing you," Kylo finished, as he smiled softly in remembrance. "If I recall, we ended up being almost 30 minutes late because of that 'kissing'. People thought we'd changed our minds."

Hux had finished fixing Kylo's tie, but his hands were still on his collar.

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why did you ask ME to fix your tie that day? Your father was around, and Chewbacca. I know Han was a little drunk, but surely he could have at least fixed your tie for you. So why'd you come and get ME?"

Kylo looked at the floor. 

"I guess I just wanted to see you, before we went to the altar. Bad luck or not, I NEEDED to see you. I was so nervous, and seeing your face, your smile, was the only thing that would calm me down."

Hux tilted his head and looked at him.

"That's -- that's incredibly sweet, 'Lo."

Kylo shrugged. "It's only the truth."

Hux took Kylo's hands in his, and pulled him close. He kissed him gently on the lips, slowly, carefully. Kylo put his arms around him and kissed him back, exploring the soft sweetness of Hux's mouth. It was their first full, on the lips kiss in _weeks_ , and there was a hesitant shyness that accompanied this long-unfamiliar act. 

At the moment, Hux's watch alarm went off, startling them both. Hux pulled back and looked down at it with a frown.

"It's 0700. We, uh, we should be leaving, or we'll be late."

He pulled Kylo's arms from around his waist, and walked away from him and into the hallway closet to grab their coats. Kylo watched him go, looking at the door with a somber expression. He erased it as Hux came back out, and handed him his black coat.

"Are you ready?"

Kylo nodded.

"Okay. Let's go."

\---

"Sometimes, rather than face things head on, it's beneficial to us to separate ourselves completely from the source of our problems. Time to step back and think, and reflect. To gain perspective. I think this may be the best possible thing for the both of you."

Kylo and Hux each nodded from opposite ends of the doctor's couch.

This last counseling session had been filled with an abundance of harsh words and anger coming from both sides. At last the doctor had suggested something to them that had already been in the very back of both of their minds: a trial separation.

When they got back home, they talked for over an hour about the validity of what they were intending to do, and how they would go about it.

Kylo decided to take up two weeks worth of his 'vacation' days and go back home to stay with his parents. He and Hux both sent Comms to Snoke, explaining the situation, and were met with an approval.

Whereas Kylo needed the time _away_ from work to reset and refocus, Hux needed the complete opposite. Burying himself in his work was always how he had coped with his problems before, and this was the immediate path he chose for himself now.

When the day came, Kylo got up in the early morning, before Hux had to leave for work, and began packing clothes and other things to take with him. Hux was already up and sitting in the kitchen, having had awful sleep the night before.

"Okay," Kylo said, coming out of the bedroom with a suitcase. "I think I've got everything I need."

Hux nodded, and the two of them looked at each other for a few moments silently.

"Do you want some breakfast first? I can make you something. Or Caff? "

Kylo shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I'd like to get a move on before the traffic gets bad."

"Well," Hux said, breaking the uncomfortable quiet following Kylo's word, "Take care of yourself, 'Lo. Send me a holo when you get there, so I know you made it safely, okay? And say Hello to your mom and dad for me."

Kylo nodded, coming closer. "I will."

He hesitated, then put his hand on Hux's shoulder and leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Love you," he said quietly. "See you in two weeks."

"Love you, too."

\---

For as many fish as they had caught, Chewie had eaten at least half of them, swallowing them down raw. His father would yell at Chewie, Chewie would apologize--then do the exact same thing when Han turned his back.

Kylo smiled, watching his father and Chewbacca. This was exactly how he remembered it being during his childhood, and there was something incredibly comforting about the nostalgic familiarity of it all.

He had been home now for two days, and his father and Chewbacca had just gotten back from a haul yesterday night. Han had been pleasantly surprised to see his boy at home for a change, and had suggested that he, Kylo and Chewbacca go on a fishing trip on the lake near their home bright and early the next day.

That was where they were now, sitting at the end of one of the wide piers, his father and Chewie smoking Cigarras, all three of them drinking, and enjoying talking and joking with each other.

His father, while he had gotten older and had gray hair now, hadn't changed much in any other way. He was still the boisterous, roguish, larger than life character that he had always been. 

Kylo looked over at him from time to time, at his profile, his facial features. His father was still a handsome man despite the age, and Kylo found himself wondering whether HE would be so fortunate when he hit old age.

He also wondered if he would have a strong marriage, such as the one his father still had with his mother.

Or if he would have _any_ marriage, at all.

But thinking about that was depressing, so he pushed it from his mind and focused on the conversation Han and Chewie were having about their latest spice haul, and the beauty of the weather.

And it WAS beautiful.

It was warm, and a gentle breeze was blowing the scent of the honeybee trees from around the lake. There were others fishing on the opposite side of the lake, but otherwise all was very quiet, and peaceful.

He suddenly realized that his father had been saying something to him, and he turned towards him hastily.

"Huh?

Han rolled his eyes, looking exactly like Kylo when he did so.

"I _said_ , its good to have you home, kid. Your mother and I miss you a lot."

Beside him, Chewie roared, and Han laughed.

"And Chewie misses you, too, of course."

Kylo smiled. "Thanks, dad. I'd come visit more if I didn't work all the time. But I had this vacation time coming up, so you know, here I am."

"I take it Red couldn't get off, too?", Han asked him, referring to Hux.

Kylo shook his head and looked back towards his pole.

"No, no he couldn't. I'll bring him next time, though."

Han continued to look at his son closely. Han couldn't use the Force like his wife and son, and he was certainly no mind-reader, but still. He had an uncanny, almost eerie ability to read the emotions of others, and pluck out the hidden meaning from things both said and unsaid. Kylo hadn't told either of his parents his real reason for coming, having them believing that it was simply for an impromptu visit. Yet looking at him now, Han could tell that there was more to the situation than Kylo was telling them.

But Han Solo wasn't a "pusher", like his wife. He was the sort who made himself available to talk, should the other person _want_ to talk, but he wouldn't push them to disclose anything they didn't want to. He was actually quite a lot like Kylo, in the regard that he believed most problems worked themselves out on their own, eventually.

Leia, of course, was markedly different. She had worked for the Senate for much of her adult life, and aggressively attacking and fixing problems was as much a part of her as breathing, or eating. If she had suspected that things were amiss between her son and his husband, she would have been actively looking for ways to correct the problem.

Kylo knew this, and purposefully guarded his thoughts and emotions around her. The last thing he wanted was his mother meddling in his affairs, as well-intentioned as she may BE.

"Well," Han was saying mildly, turning back to his own pole, "I'll look forward to that, whenever that may be. He's the only one in this family who can play Sabacc worth a damn."

Chewie howled indignantly beside him, and Han turned to him and said, "WITHOUT cheating, pal."

And all three of them laughed.

\---

Hux sat at his kitchen table, staring at a plate of food he didn't really want and sipping a cup of Caff that had grown unpleasantly cold.

He was off today, and he found himself with no idea on what to do with himself.

He had very nearly sent a holo to Kylo on several occasions this morning, contemplating asking him to join him for breakfast, maybe at one of those little diners Kylo liked so much near where his parents lived.

In the end, he decided against it.

After that initial "I made it safely" holo several days ago, the two had had no further contact with one another.

He didn't want to ruin whatever peace of mind that Kylo may have found at his parents' house, so he declined to bother him with messages. At any rate, it would be very besides the point to be speaking to him, when they were supposed to spend some time apart, wouldn't it?

Hux yawned to himself loudly. His sleep had gotten progressively worse since Kylo's departure, and he could only seem to snatch a few hours of it at a time. He supposed, since he was off, he could just spend the day lazing around and napping. 

But relaxation wasn't really a part of Hux's programming, any more than napping was.

He decided that he would give the quarters a good, thorough cleaning. His hectic schedule (and the turmoil with Kylo) these past few weeks had prevented him from giving the place he care and attention to detail he usually bestowed upon it, and, while not exactly dirty, it was far from properly clean.

So he spend the morning dusting, mopping, washing, and organizing. The little activities gave his mind something to focus on, and for this, he was grateful.

Towards the end of his cleaning jaunt, everything sparkling and in its place, he opened up the hall closet to hang up one of Kylo's spare training robes that he had found behind the couch. As he hung it up, a small square of something fell out of the pocket. Curious, he picked it up and looked at it.

He couldn't believe it. 

It was a picture that he and Kylo had had taken at least three years before, on one of their very first outings as a couple. They had been at the famous Botanical Gardens of Naboo at the time, surrounded by a plethora of trees, plants, and a sprawl of blooming flowers.

In the picture, which they had asked a passerby to take, both were sitting on a bench in the middle of the lunar rose garden. Hux's face was slightly red, because he was mildly allergic to roses (not that he wanted to tell Kylo that, and ruin their day), and Kylo was leaning against him, his head on Hux's shoulder.

They were holding hands.

Hux stared at the picture for so long, remembering the rest of that day in such vivid detail that he all but forgot where he was.

Finally, he snapped himself out of his trance with a sigh. He slipped the picture in his own pocket and shut the closet door, suddenly feeling drained enough to actually go into the bedroom and lay down for a while.

\---

"Hux said to tell you and dad Happy Anniversary from him."

Leia smiled. "Tell him thank you for me, baby, and that we wish he could BE here with us."

Kylo nodded, but said nothing else.

It was a few days later, and Kylo was sitting in the kitchen with his mother, watching her bake. Han and Chewie had left last night on a haul, but were due back within a few short hours.

"Sweet of him to remember, Leia said about Hux, looking at her son.

Of course Hux would have remembered Kylo's parents' anniversary. He always remembered everything. All Kylo had to do was tell him something **once** , and it became snared in his mind like an animal in a trap.

"It is," was all Kylo said in response to his mother, shifting his eyes away and looking out the small window by the table.

Leia seemed as though she wanted to say more; but instead she merely sighed and turned back around,   
as she bustled around preparing food. She and Han were having a small party later that evening, having invited some of their closest friends and family, and everybody was bringing a dish to share. Leia herself was making her specialty: spiced jogan fruit cake, with heavy cream.

Normally just the thought of this dish set Kylo's mouth to watering, but today, it barely elicited a reaction from him at all. Since he had been here, he didn't have much of an appetite. Which was a shame, as Leia was an excellent cook, and when he was gone he often thought to himself about how much he missed her cooking.

He propped his cheek on his dust and continued to watch his mother, unaware that he had just let out a very ardent sigh.

Leia, however, heard it, and turned around.

She dusted off her hands and sat down next to her son.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, mom."

Leia sighed. "You know you're just as bad as Han, when it comes to trying to hide things from me. Your faces are so expressive, they give you away each time. Now come on, baby, what IS it?"

When he still wouldn't answer, she said, gently, "Its something to do with Hux, isn't it?"

He nodded reluctantly.

"I thought so. Two weeks is a long time to be away from each other, work or no work."

"We just, we just needed a break from each other. That's all. Don't you ever wish you had a break from dad?"

Leia laughed and nodded.

"Of course. I don't think there's any married couple who could honestly say otherwise. But I think that's normal. Sometimes the other person will get on your nerves to the point where you just want to scream and tear out all your hair. Maker knows your father has put me there thousands of times over the years."

"I don't know if that's our problem, exactly. We hardly SEE each other enough to get on each others' nerves, and when we do, it's like there's a wall between us, that neither of us can seem to get over. It's hard talking to him, and when we do talk it's like so we do is fight and argue."

"Have you thought of going to counseling?"

Kylo nodded, and told his mother of the past few weeks of sessions, ending with this suggested separation.

Leia sat quietly and thought about all he had told her.

"Let me ask you this, son: do you still love him?"

He nodded. "I do. I love him with all my heart, mom."

"Does he love you?"

"He says he does, but, I just don't know anymore, mom. I just don't know. All I know is that I'm tired and confused and scared and I don't know what to do."

Leia gave her son a warm hug. "Talk, and listen. That's what you need to do for each other. Talk. And _listen._

"It's not that simple, mom."

Leia got up and went back to preparing her cake.

"Love is a lot more simple than people make it out to be, son. Everything is about compromise, and going the extra mile for your loved one. Think about the things he said about you in therapy. Is anything something you can improve on, or fix?"

Kylo thought about it and nodded. "There is one thing. A small thing, but something he seemed concerned about nonetheless. And I think it's something I could maybe fix."

He got up from the table and kissed his mom on the cheek.

"I have a holo to make. A small step, but a step regardless."

Leia smiled. "That's my boy. And if you want to talk anymore, about anything, you know your father and I are both here for you."

\---

Hux sat in his office, staring at his desk. He had just come from a long meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke, and he felt exhausted.

He had just taken a huge step towards fixing his current unhappy situation, and he was thinking about when (and his) to tell Kylo about what he had done.

How would he take it?

Was it a case of too little, too late?

He hoped not.

He gathered up his things and closed up his office, walking swiftly to his quarters to get ready for what he had to do.

\---

The party went off without a hitch. They held it in the large field behind Kylo's parents' home, lit up with festival lights and a large bonfire in the center.

The food was good, and everybody was having a great time with each other.

Everybody except Kylo.

He was polite to everybody that came over to chat with him, and he forced himself to sample all the food that everyone brought. Yet despite the happy, carefree nature of the event, his heart just wasn't in it.

When everyone was distracted, he gravitated to the far end of the field, away from where everyone else was eating and laughing and dancing, and sat on one of the large, flat-sided rocks.

He drew his knees up to his chin and watched the activities from afar, sighing to himself as he focused on his parents.

He was happy for them, that they had made it so many years together, but it was a bittersweet feeling. He couldn't help but feel jealous, as he watched them sway with each other to the soft music. 

"Excuse me; is this seat taken?"

Kylo looked up in surprise.

Hux was standing behind him, his coat over his arm, and a nervous smile on his face.

"Hux? What are you doing here?"

Hux sat down next to him cautiously.

"Chewie pointed you out to me from across the field," he said.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you during your 'you' time; but I couldn't stay away anymore. I . . . I missed you."

Kylo smiled, and timidly slid his hand into Hux's. "I missed you, too."

"Then why have I not heard from you all week?"

"Why haven't I heard from _you_?"

Kylo shrugged. "I assumed you'd be happy, not having to deal with me. I didn't want to bother you."

Hux started to laugh. "And I didn't want to bother _you_."

Now they both laughed together, and it felt good. They were still holding hands.

Hux leaned into him, and gave him a long, lingering kiss.

"I, um, I took the rest of this week off work," Hux told him as he pulled away. "I thought, maybe, you'd like to go on a little trip with me?"

"Really?", Kylo responded, surprised. "To where?"

"I was thinking maybe, Bespin? You told me once that you've always wanted to go there, because you wanted to look for artifacts from your grandfather, but your parents refused to take you because of the bad memories they have of that place."

"You -- I told you that _years_ ago, Hux. I can't believe you remember that."

Hux nodded, and put his hand on Kylo's cheek, turning his face towards him and kissing him again.

"Everything you say, I remember, because it's important to me. **You're** important to me. I don't want to lose you."

He pulled two pieces of paper from his pocket, and showed them to Kylo. It was their weekly schedules for when they returned to work.

"I spent a lot of time talking to Snoke, and rearranging our work patterns. I think maybe this is a big cause of our problems: we spend too much time running ourselves ragged and not enough with each other."

Kylo looked over the two schedules in disbelief. The hours for both of them were drastically different than the hectic pace he had grown accustomed to.

"And Snoke agreed to this?"

Hux nodded, taking back the papers and replacing them in his pockets.

"Hux--I can't believe you'd do this for me. For US. I know this must have taken a lot of doing, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. And you."

He cleared his throat before going on.

"I, uh, I have some news, too. I was thinking about what you said about my temper, and you're right. I need to stop using my Force sensitivity as an excuse for my actions. So I called the doctor, and had him sign me up for anger management classes. I can't promise that I'll improve right away, but I can promise I'll be trying my hardest."

Hux threw his arms around him and hugged him fiercely.

"Kylo, really? I'm so proud of you!", he said, kissing his cheek. 

Kylo blushed, and looked out across the smoke-hazy field, where he spotted his parents still dancing with each other.

"Come on; let's go tell my parents that you're here. Both of them keep saying how much they wish you'd come with me."

Hux grabbed his hand and pulled him in the opposite direction, pointing towards the trees.

"I think that can wait."

"Why?"

Hux smiled and squeezed his hand tightly.

"Because right now I just want to be selfish and have you all to myself. How about we take a walk in the woods? The moon is so bright, it'll be clear and lovely."

Kylo smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

"If that's your idea of 'selfish', I'm all for it," he said with a chuckle. "Let's go."

They kissed each other once more, before walking away, hand in hand, into the trees.


End file.
